Frequently Asked Questions

Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH)

(Updated 9.25.07)

1. How important is it to choose a mentor from the mentor’s list provided on the website?
   
2. Must a mentor be located at the University of Minnesota?
   
3. Should I be selected as a scholar, what can I plan on as the start date for the BIRCWH Program?
   
4. If I am a post-doctoral fellow, rather than junior faculty, am I automatically disqualified as eligible?
   
5. Can I submit a training plan that lasts for more than 3 years?
   
6. Do I need to identify a statistician or can a mentor chosen also play the role of a statistician?
   
7. How many scholars will be selected this year?  What about next year? 
   
8. Is the $25,000 of research money allocated for each scholar a one time allocation?
   
9. Does my proposal need to include attaining a degree?
   
10. If I apply to both the CAPS program and the BIRCWH, will that decrease my chance of getting one or the other?
    
11. Is there any training on mentoring available to mentors through this program?
    
12. Does my application have to go through Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA)?
    
13. Do I need to apply for other grants while I am on the BIRCWH grant?
    
14. How strict is the 6 years post graduate training eligibility requirement?
    
15. How should I include references in my proposal?
    
16. How much detail do I need to include about my research project?

1. How important is it to choose a mentor from the mentor’s list provided on the website?
   The mentor’s list provided is not all-inclusive.  However, each mentor we have identified is senior faculty and has an established record of obtaining NIH funds for research and training junior colleges who also became successful in obtaining faculty positions and grant funding.  You may choose a mentor not identified on the list but at least one of your mentors must meet the criteria listed above.  An important aspect is that he/she has stature and knowledge in research to provide a quality mentoring experience for the scholar.  We are requiring that you have at least two mentors.  One of the mentors needs to have statistical or methodological expertise.
   
   
2. Must a mentor be located at the University of Minnesota?
   Implicit in the mentoring relationship is frequent contact between mentor and mentee.  This is less likely to occur if mentor and mentee are separated by distance, so the case must be made that there will be regular and frequent contact and that the relationship meets the definition of a good mentoring relationship.  Mentors are also expected to attend the mentoring workshop offered as part of the BIRCWH and to attend BIRCWH seminars when their scholar is presenting data.
   
   
3. Should I be selected as a scholar, what can I plan on as the start date for the BIRCWH Program?
   There is no absolute start date.  Based on the experience of other BIRCWH program in the past, the earliest date would probably be around February or March 2008.  The date can be negotiated based on teaching and clinical responsibilities and how quickly these responsibilities can be reduced.
   
   
4. If I am a post-doctoral fellow, rather than junior faculty, am I automatically disqualified as eligible?
   The Scholar position is a full-time faculty position, e.g., tenure or clinical track, not a fellowship. At the time of the award, candidates must have a clinical doctorate or Ph.D. degree or its equivalent, have completed any postgraduate training normally expected for a faculty appointment in their field (including clinical or postdoctoral fellowship training, or residency if they have chosen not to subspecialize), and be junior faculty who have the potential to establish their own funded research programs.
   
   
5. Can I submit a training plan that lasts for more than 3 years?
   You are required to submit a 3-year plan.  We expect all scholars to have independent funding in three years.  A fourth year would be optional if there are extenuating circumstances.
   
   
6. Do I need to identify a statistician or can a mentor chosen also play the role of a statistician?
   One of your mentors may serve as a statistician or methodologist if they are qualified.
   
   
7. How many scholars will be selected this year?  What about next year?
   This year four or five scholars will be selected.  The BIRCWH grant can only support 5 scholars total so other applications will be considered as the first round of scholars obtain other NIH funding or complete their three-year training program.
   
   
8. Is the $25,000 of research money allocated for each scholar a one time allocation?
   Approximately, $25,000 in research funds are budgeted for each scholar on a yearly basis.  The exact amount awarded may vary depending on how much the NIH cuts overall budget for the grant, etc…
   
   
9. Does my proposal need to include attaining a degree?
   No, you do not have to obtain a degree.  The decision whether or not to propose attaining a degree as part of your program should be based on the amount of research training you have had in the past.
   
   
10. If I apply to both the CAPS program and the BIRCWH, will that decrease my chance of getting one or the other?
    You can apply for both programs.  If you are eligible for both we encourage you to do so as it could increase your chances of receiving K-12 funding.
    
    
11. Is there any training on mentoring available to mentors through this program?
    The mentoring team will be required to attend a mentoring workshop.  More details will be provided shortly.
    
    
12. Does my application have to go through Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA)?
    You do not have to submit a budget and your application does not need to go through SPA.
    
    
13. Do I need to apply for other grants while I am on the BIRCWH grant?
    Yes, you are encouraged to apply for seed grants from internal and external sources to help support collection of preliminary data for your Federal grant.  Twelve to eighteen months into your training program you will be expected to work on a larger Federal grant.
    
    
14. How strict is the 6 years post graduate training eligibility requirement?
    It is not clear how strict the NIH is going to be about this requirement.  As soon as we are able to obtain this information we will post it in the FAQ section.
    
    
15. How should I include references in my proposal?
    References should be included at the end of the 3-5 pages of text. Any reference format can be used and the references are not included in the 5 page limit.
    
    
16. How much detail do I need to include about my research project?
    It is important to give the context of how your research project fits in the current literature in your area.  You need to have a specific aim or aims that will guide your research project and you need to give a general idea of what methods you will be using. Details of methods and analyses are not required.